When I was working in the escalation line for a newspaper, I had a customer call to berate us for the price of her newspaper doubling. It doubled because she had twelve weeks at 50% off and then her price returned to its normal level. She chewed one rep’s ear off for that, and then she asked for a supervisor and got me.

I loved being the escalation person because you could say no and it would stick. And most customers would either be understanding or not understanding but really funny to me. But this lady went on and on about how it was deceptive business practice, and how yadda, yadda, yadda. She managed to get under my very thick skin.

Customer: “How was I supposed to know when twelve weeks were up?”

I could not stop myself in time.

Me: “Well, ma’am, there are calendars.”

I found out years later that I was supposed to be fired for that, but my manager refused to do so because he was proud of me and a little jealous.

I work for a big-name department store. I served an old woman with a large order.

Me: “Is this all one transaction?”

Customer: *Very rudely* “What kind of question is that? Do you see another person with me?”

At this point, I’m cringing because I know this isn’t going to be an easy transaction.

She tries to pass me her bags, but I’m not allowed to pack them, so I place all her items on the end. She starts yelling and screaming about how lazy I am, calls me the worst cashier in the world, and adds some rather personal insults.

Eventually, I look at her and say:

Me: “Look, I’m just following the rules of my job. I’m not allowed to deviate from them in any way. There’s no reason to get personal. Please, leave me alone.”

She seems pretty humiliated after that and simply responds with, “Okay,” and remains silent until the transaction was complete.

Customer: “I’m sorry for my behavior. I was in a bad mood and shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

I’m not sure if she was actually sorry or just embarrassed that I called her out, but I genuinely wish more rude customers would apologize like she did.

We have a special top-tier rewards card at the theater that has a monthly cost and gives you perks like free movies. Due to certain legal limitations and restrictions that require signing off on documents, you can only apply for this specific card online; you cannot sign up for it in the theater itself.

It’s been this way since corporate first introduced the card a few years ago. At no point whatsoever were customers able to sign up for this card in our theater.

A customer wanders up to me at the box office.

Customer: “I wanna sign up for that top-tier rewards card. You know, the one that gives you free movies and stuff.”

Me: “Fantastic! If you go to our website, you’ll be able to sign up on there.”

Customer: “Nah, I’m doing it here. I’ve always signed up for it here.”

Me: “I apologize, but we’re not able to sign you up for that particular card in-theater. But you can sign up for it right on our website.”

Customer: “But I’ve always been able to sign up for it here. I sign up for it all the time.”

Me: “Um, I apologize, but that’s not possible. That particular card has always been one you have to sign up for online.”

Customer: “Okay, but I’ve done it here before. I signed up for it all the time.”

Me: “I’m confused… Are you asking to get a free movie using the card?”

Customer: “No, I want to sign up for the card. I do it all the time here.”

Me: “Sir… I’m sorry, but I think you may be mistaken. The only way to sign up for that card is online. I’ve worked here since before we even offered that card, and ever since it was introduced, it was only available online.”

Customer: “But I did it here all the time!“

Me: “Sir, I’m sorry but that’s just not possible.”

Customer: “But I’ve done it before! Many times!”

The customer continued to argue with me for about another thirty seconds before I offered to get a manager. I got my manager, and he spent about a full minute going back and forth with the customer explaining the ins and outs of the card and reaffirming multiple times that it was never available for purchase in-theater. Despite this, he kept defiantly proclaiming that he signed up for it in-theater “all the time,” no matter how many times he was told that it was literally impossible.

He finally threw up his hands and paid for his ticket — sans card, of course — and acted like we were all complete idiots for not selling him a card that we’ve never been able to sell in-theater. He later tried to get a refund after his movie was already finished for… some reason?

We have this one regular who likes to pick on new team members. She goes through the newest cashier if she can, and she always raises a stink until the manager (me) comes by to demolish her. She always leaves grumpy, so why does she keep shopping here? Who knows?

Today, she goes through [Employee]’s till. He has been here for two weeks and is one week fresh on the register. He’s doing great, and so far, he has made every effort to understand the register, and he’s been pretty independent! He scans through her items, asks about the club card, offers a bag, and announces her total.

Customer: *Scoffing* “How can it be that much?”

Employee: *Jovially* “Items can add up when you’re in the zone! Your total is [total].”

Customer: “You must have scanned something twice!”

Not quite having faced a customer like this before, [Employee] calls me over for backup. After listening to her claim, I dutifully check each item’s tag with the register’s item list to satisfy her paranoid claim, all the while explaining to [Employee] how to handle a double-scanned item.

Wow, what a surprise!

Me: “Ma’am, nothing was scanned twice; however, it looks like [Employee] missed an item while scanning! Your new total is up by $15. Cash or card?”

This woman stared at [Employee] and me for at least five full, silent seconds before she started apologizing and saying her English was bad and she didn’t understand what we were saying. I explained what happened a couple of different ways, ensuring there was no conflict of communication, and each time repeated her heightened total.

Eventually, she gave up and paid the higher amount. She sulked on out of the store, claiming we always do this crap with her. Sorry, lady, idiot tax is real!

I did discuss with [Employee] to be a little more careful and steadier at cash going forward, to make sure he doesn’t miss any more items, just in case this has been a recurring problem and not a one-off. I have high hopes for him going forward!

My husband and I are expecting our second child. We are waiting until birth to find out baby’s sex. I’m thrifty and am trying to find some of the baby items we want secondhand. I find some really good deals and am sharing my excitement with my mother-in-law. 

Me: “I ended up finding someone just giving away the baby carrier I was looking for and two of the swaddles for under $10 total at a consignment store.”

Mother-In-Law: “Nice. Are they a gender-neutral color?”

Me: “The carrier’s an Oxford blue and the swaddles are a baby blue.”

She makes a tutting sound. 

Me: “What?”

Mother-In-Law: “What are you going to do if you have a girl?”

Me: “What do you mean? I’m going to use them.”

Mother-In-Law: “Blue is a boy’s color. You can’t use those if you have a girl.”

Me: “I don’t care if they were all pink and we had a boy. I’d still use them. The carrier was free and the swaddles were 85% off the cost they normally are. It’s just a color. Baby won’t care.”

Mother-In-Law: *Looking annoyed* “You need a gender-neutral color, instead.”

Me: “Tell you what. If we have a girl, you are more than welcome to spend the $150 dollars to buy everything in the color you deem fit.”

She dropped it after that and I stopped sharing information with her.